Described herein are systems and methods for positioning a radiation source with respect to one or more regions of interest in a coordinate system. Such systems and methods may be used in emission guided radiation therapy (EGRT) for the localized delivery of radiation to one or more patient tumor regions. These systems comprise a gantry movable about a patient area, where a plurality of positron emission detectors, a radiation source are arranged movably on the gantry, and a controller. The controller is configured to identify a coincident positron annihilation emission path and to position the radiation source to apply a radiation beam along the identified emission path. The systems and methods described herein can be used alone or in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or brachytherapy for the treatment of tumors.

Examples of systems and methods for monitoring metabolic activity and detectors for detecting photons are disclosed. The methods can include detection in a front and a rear detector of a photon to determine a Compton cone. This Compton cone may be combined with further Compton cone, or Line of Response calculation to determine an origin of nuclear decay. In examples of the systems and methods, substantially real-time visualization of nuclear decay can be achieved.

To optimize image quality and/or sensitivity, a Compton camera is adaptable. The scatter and/or catcher detectors may move closer to and/or further away from a patient and/or each other. This adaptation allows a balancing of image quality and sensitivity by altering the geometry.

Various techniques are provided to detect the direction and location of one or more radiation sources. In one example, a system includes a plurality of radiation detectors configured to receive radiation from a radiation source. A first one of the radiation detectors is positioned to at least partially occlude a second one of the radiation detectors to attenuate the radiation received by the second radiation detector. The system also includes a processor configured to receive detection information provided by the first and second radiation detectors in response to the radiation, and determine a direction of the radiation source using the detection information. A modular system including gamma radiation detectors and neutron radiation detectors and related methods are also provided. In some cases, radiation source type may be determined in addition to or separate from radiation source direction.

A method and device for measuring the magnetic rigidity of penetrating charged particles uses an elongated transparent ionizable medium, surrounded by a reflective interface, extending along a helical path around a longitudinal axis. A magnet applies a magnetic field to the medium in a direction along the longitudinal axis. A single luminosity proportional photon detector is operationally associated with the medium and adapted to generate signals indicative of the number of photons transiting the medium. A controller is adapted to receive the signals and calculate a penetration depth of the ionizing particle through the medium based on the number of photons transiting the medium and a magnetic rigidity of the charged particle based upon the penetration depth.

A device for generating one or more images of a source distribution of a gamma radiation field in the near and far field can include a detector system that includes several synchronized detectors for detecting radiation, system electronics that registers coincidence events, a data acquisition system that stores the measurement data of the coincidence events, and an analysis unit that performs an image reconstruction, which reconstructs one or more images of the source distribution of the radiation field.

A system and method for imaging by gamma radiation detection having at least one processing unit analyzing at least one signal provided by at least one set of detection modules mounted on a frame and including, on the one hand, at least one module of Compton camera type having a field of view directed towards a volume delimited by the frame and, on the other hand, at least one pair of coincidence detection PET modules, diametrically opposite to each other on the frame and defining an imaging axis, the processing unit analyzing the signal derived from the Compton-type module to determine the intersection of the imaging axis with the field of view and to determine the optimal orientations and/or locations of the various detection modules on the frame so that the imaging axis passes through the source of the gamma radiation in the object to be imaged.

A method for multidimensional direction measurement of gamma radiation in the far field by means of a group of several energy discriminating detectors synchronized with each other for detection of radiation can use unidirectional and bidirectional Compton scattering processes and lookup tables LUT.sup.SK, a defined functional value f(E1,E2), a list of defined detector pairs with an identification number i for defined detector pairs, and one or more frequency distributions Y for the acquisition of the measurement values. In some embodiments, the method can include setting up a detector system, acquiring measurement values, associating coincidence events with an Identification number, calculating a functional value, acquiring coincidence events in frequency distributions, and calculating one or more direction distributions from the frequency distributions.

The present invention relates to a system (10) and method for the volumetric and isotopic identification of the spatial distribution of ionizing radiation from point or extensive radioactive sources (3) in radioactive surroundings. More specifically, this system (10) comprises a gamma radiation detector (2) and an optical transducer (1) joined to each other and linked to a control unit to detect the absolute position of radioactive sources (3) relative to a visual reference located in the radioactive surroundings, and to determine the radioactive activity of the sources, that is to say it detects the isotope composition of the radioactive sources (3).

A medical apparatus according to an embodiment includes control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to: acquire a three-dimensional cumulative dose distribution of an object; set a treatment target site by treatment accompanied with X-ray irradiation to the object; and determine an X-ray irradiating direction for performing the X-ray irradiation based on the three-dimensional cumulative dose distribution and the treatment target site.